Regional History of Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh, the 'Heart of India' is the second largest state in the country. In the history of Madhya Pradesh, it was divided into several regions which had different political and cultural importance. These regions were :
▸ Malwa region ▸ Bundelkhand region ▸ Baghelkhand region ▸ Mahakaushal region ▸ Nimar region ▸ Gird region ▸ Gwalior state ▸ Bhopal state ▸ Rewa state

Malwa Region

▸ It is a historical region in West Central India. The name Malwa is derived from the ancient Indian tribe of Malavas.
▸ This region includes the Madhya Pradesh districts of Dewas, Dhar, Indore, Jhabua, Mandsaur, Neemuch, Rajgarh, Ratlam, Shajapur, Ujjain and parts of Guna and Sehore.
▸ This region also extends to Jhalawar of Rajasthan and parts of Kota, Banswara and Pratapgarh.
▸ The culture of this region is influenced by the Rajasthani, Marathi and Gujarati cultures of neighbouring regions.
▸ This region was regarded as the centre of Sanskrit literature. The most famous Sanskrit scholar Kalidasa belonged to this region. Malvi is the most commonly used language of this region.
▸ The Kshipra river and the city of Ujjain are regarded very sacred for Hindus from ancient time.
▸ This region has a tropical climate with dry deciduous forests which is a home to number of tribes, especially Bhil tribe.
▸ This region was ruled by several kingdoms and dynasties including the Avanti kingdom, the Mauryans, the Malavas, the Guptas, the Paramaras, the Malwa Sultans, the Mughals and the Marathas.
▸ Most famous king of Malwa region was Baz Bahadur who was the son of Governor Sujat Khan.
▸ In 1555, Baz Bahadur declared himself independent ruler who reigned from 1555 to 1562. Mandu was his capital.
▸ The story of Baz Bahadur and his wife Rupmati became legend in this region.
▸ In 1562, Baz Bahadur was defeated by the army of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Baz Bahadur died and his wife Rupmati killed herself.
▸ After 1700, as the Mughal state weakened, Marathas came to power in Malwa. Three Maratha powers viz. Scindias in Gwalior, Holkars in Indore and Pawars in Dhar and Dewas ruled the region.
▸ After 1818, the British organised the several Princely States of Central India into Central India Agency. Malwa Agency became the administrative section of Central India Agency.
▸ Malwa Agency continued to be administrative division until 1947. This Malwa Agency of British India was merged into Madhya Bharat (also known as Malwa region) state of independent India.
▸ There have been periodic demands for separate Malwa state with capital at Indore.

Bundelkhand Region

▸ It is a historical and cultural region in Central India. The ancient name of Bundelkhand was Jejakabhukti.
▸ Bundelkhand lies between the Indo-Gangetic plain to the North and the Vindhya Range to the South.
▸ This hilly region is divided between Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh. The larger portion is lying in Madhya Pradesh.
▸ Districts of Madhya Pradesh lying in this region are Datia, Chhatarpur, Damoh, Panna, Sagar, Tikamgarh, Vidisha, Bhind, Morena, Gwalior, Sheopur, Shivpuri and Dhaulpur.
▸ The main rivers flow in this region are Sindh, Betwa, Ken, Baghain, Tons, Dhasan, Chambal, Kali Sindh, etc.
▸ This region was ruled by Chandela Rajputs from 10th to 16th Century. The Chandelas built the famous temple city Khajuraho. Between the mid tenth and mid 11th centuries, Orchha was founded by the Bundela Chief Rudra Pratap Singh who became the first Raja of Orchha. Bundela King Raja Rudra Pratap made Orchha as the capital of Bundelkhand in 1531.
▸ In 1554, Afghan ruler Sher Shah Suri was killed while attempting to capture Kalinjar from the local Chandela king.
▸ During the Chandela dynasty, Jain community flourished in Bundelkhand and numerous Jain temples were built in that period.
▸ This region came under nominal Mughal rule from 16th to 18th centuries. Bundela Chief Chhatrasal conquered the whole of Bundelkhand with the assistance of the Marathas.
▸ After the death of Bundela king Chhatrasal a large part of Bundelkhand was captured by Marathas. But the Maratha rule involved constant anarchy and conflict. The Marathas surrendered parts of Bundelkhand to the British in 1802 in Treaty of Bassein. In 1818, after the Third Anglo-Maratha war, the Peshwa in Pune surrendered all his rights over Bundelkhand to the British.
▸ In 1854 Bundelkhand Agency was placed under the authority of the newly created Central India Agency, which had its headquarters at Indore.
▸ In 1931, Baghelkhand Agency, except the Rewa state was merged into Bundelkhand Agency.
▸ After Indian Independcence, Bundelkhand Agency was combined with formed Baghelkhand Agency to form the province of Vindhya Pradesh. It become an Indian State in 1950 and was merged to Madhya Pradesh on 1st November, 1956.
▸ Since the early 1960s, there has been a movement for establishing a separate Bundelkhand state.
▸ Inspite of rich mineral resources people are very poor here. Large scale of farmer's suicide is the result of agrarian crisis here. All these factors are responsible for the claim of separate statehood.

Baghelkhand Region

▸ It is a region of mountain range in Central India which covers the North-Eastern regions of Madhya Pradesh and a small area of South-Eastern Uttar Pradesh. Bagh is derived from the sanskrit word Vyaghra which means tiger. This region is named after the Baghels rulers.
▸ This region includes Rewa, Satna, Shahdol, Sidhi and Singrauli districts of Madhya Pradesh and Chitrakoot of Uttar Pradesh.
▸ This region is surrounded by the Indo-Gangetic plains in the North and East, Bundelkhand in the West and the Vindhya range in the South.
▸ The 50% of Baghelkhand region is covered by forest. The main products of these forests are sal, bamboos, tendu leaf, etc.
▸ The main rivers flow in this region are Son, Hasdo, Johilla, Gopad, Vanas, Rihand etc.
▸ From 6th century to 12th century, this region was ruled by Kalchuri dynasty. In the 13th century this region was controlled by the Baghels Rajput (a branch of the Solanki who once ruled in Gujarat).
▸ Vyaghra Dev was the first Solanki ruler who first came from Gujarat and established his rule.
▸ The most known general and fighter of Baghelkhand were Aalha and Udal of Chandel king Paramardi Dev who fought against Prithviraj Chauhan in 1182 CE.
▸ In 1931 this region merged with Bundelkhand regions and formed the Vindhya Pradesh.

Mahakaushal Region

▸ The historical region Mahakaushal lies in the North-East part of Madhya Pradesh and refer to the Eastern upper regions of Narmada river valley.
▸ This region include Jabalpur, Katni, Narsimhapur, Mandla, Dindori, Seoni and Chhindwara districts.
▸ This region is also known as Gondwanaland. Jabalpur is the largest city of this region. It is mainly a Hindi speaking area but Gondi, Marathi are also spoken.
▸ This region was ruled by Kalchuri dynasty, Gond dynasty, Satavahanas and Bhonsle kings of Nagpur.
▸ After the third Anglo Maratha War, Mahakaushal region became a British province i.e. the Saugor and Nerbudda Territories.
▸ During the British period, Mahakaushal became the part of Central Province which contained two distinct linguistic regions viz, Mahakaushal and Vidarbha.
▸ Due to lack of recognition and development a demand of separate state Rewakhand from this region has been raised. This demand was supported by Madhya Pradesh High Court Bar council.
▸ Moreover the Gondwana Ganatantra Party (established in 1991) has started struggle for the creation of a separate Gondwana state of Gonds comprising of Mahakaushal, Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh region.

Nimar Region

▸ It is the South-Western region of Madhya Pradesh. This region lies South of the Vindhya range. Here the Satpura range separates the Narmada and Tapti river valley.
▸ On the highest peak of Satpura range, there is Asirgarh fortress having a pass which is the chief highway between upper India and the Deccan.
▸ The Nimar region formed a district of British India in the Nerbudda division of the Central provinces.
▸ Some important cities of this region are Barwani, Harsud, Mundi and Sanawad.
▸ The main language spoken is the Nimadi language, which is related to the Malvi language.
▸ This region is known for Punasa forests which extends for about 190 km along the South Bank of Narmada.
▸ The capital of it during Muslim rulers was Burhanpur, but the administrative headquarters is at Khandwa.
▸ During British period it was a district in the Princely State of Indore.
▸ After independence, the former British district became the Nimar district of the new state of Madhya Pradesh with its administrative seat at Khandwa.
▸ The Nimar district of Indore state became the Nimar district of Madhya Bharat, with its administrative seat at Khargone.
▸ When Madhya Bharat was merged in to Madhya Pradesh on 1st November, 1956 the district of Madhya Bharat became West Nimar district and district in Madhya Pradesh became East Nimar district.
▸ West Nimar district was split into districts of Barwani and Khargone on 24th May, 1998 and East Nimar district was split into Khandwa and Burhanpur on 15th August, 2003.

Gird Region

▸ In ancient time, Gird was known as Gopasetra. It is a region of the Madhya Pradesh which is same as Gwalior region.
▸ It includes the districts of Bhind, Gwalior, Morena, Sheopur and Shivpuri.
Gwalior is the largest city in this region.
▸ The main rivers are Chambal and Yamuna which form the North-Western and Northern boundaries of Gird region.

Gwalior State

▸ It was a Princely State during the British period. This state was ruled by Scindia dynasty of the Marathas in subsidiary alliance with the British.
▸ This state was founded by Ranoji Scindia. Under the leadership of Mahadji Scindia Gwalior became a prominent power in Northern India.
▸ After the defeat of the Marathas in the Anglo-Maratha war, the state came under British rule.
▸ In 1936, the Gwalior residency was separated from the Central India Agency and made answerable directly to the Governor-General of India. Until India's independence Scindia dynasty ruled Gwalior.
▸ After Independence, Gwalior was merged with a number of Princely States to become the new Indian State of Madhya Bharat.
▸ Jiwajirao Scindia served as the state's Rajpramukh or the appointed Governor from 28th May, 1948 to 31st October, 1956, when Madhya Bharat was merged into Madhya Pradesh.
▸ Some important rulers of Gwalior were Ranoji Rao Scindia (1731-45), Mahadji Scindia (1768-94), Daulat Rao Scindia (1794-1827), Jankoji Rao II Scindia (1827-43), Jayajirao Scindia (1843-86), Madhav Rao II Scindia (1886-1925), George Jivaji Rao Scindia (1925-48) etc.

Bhopal State

▸ In the 18th century Bhopal was tributary state. The Bhopal state included the present-day districts of Bhopal, Raisen and Sehore.
▸ It was founded in 1707 CE by Dost Mohammad Khan, an Afghan General in the Mughal army.
▸ In 1723 it came under the dominion of the Nizam of Hyderabad.
▸ In 1737 Peshwa Baji Rao defeated the Nawab of Bhopal i.e. Nizam of Hyderabad and started collecting tribute from the state.
▸ After the defeat of the Marathas in the Third Anglo Maratha War, Bhopal became a British Princely State in 1818.
▸ Between 1819 and 1926 Bhopal was ruled by four women beguns, viz, Qudsia Begum also known as Gohar Begum (1819-1844), Sikandar Jahan Begum (1844-1868), Shah Jahan Begum (1868-1901), Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum (1901-1930).
▸ Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum's son Hamidullah Khan ascended the throne in 1926. He was the chancellor of the Chamber of Princes. He was the last ruling Nawab of Bhopal.
▸ During the rule of Begums in Bhopal many beautiful palaces and mosques like Jama Masjid and Gohar Mahal by Qudsia Begum, Moti Masjid and Moti Mahal by Sikandar Jahan Begum, Shahjahanabad and Taj-ul-Masjid by Shah Jahan Begum and Sadar Manzil by Kaikhusrau Jahan Begum were made.
▸ After Independence, Bhopal was one of the last states to sign Instrument of Accession.
▸ The last Nawab of Bhopal was against the merger of Bhopal and wish to retain it as a separate state. But after the agitations in December 1948 and due to public pressure, the Nawab signed the agreement for merger.
▸ The new Bhopal state was declared 'Part C' state which was governed by a Chief Commissioner appointed by the President of India.
▸ The state was merged into the union of India in 1949 as Bhopal.
▸ In 1956, Madhya Bharat, Vindhya Pradesh and Bhopal state were merged into Madhya Pradesh.

Rewa State

▸ It is also known as Rewah. It was the largest Princely State in the Baghelkhand Agency and the second largest in Central India Agency.
▸ Rewa state is bordered to the North by the United Provinces, to the East by Bengal and to the South by the Central Provinces.
▸ According to history, Rewa state was founded around 1140 AD.
▸ On 5th October, 1812, it became a British protectorate. The Rajas of Rewa were the Baghela branch of the Rajput or Solanki clan. They were descendant of the founder of the Anhilwara (Patan) dynasty of Gujarat.
▸ Rewa was ruled by Raja Vyaghra Dev who was a direct descendant of Gujrati King Vir Dhawal.
▸ In the mid 1550s, Raja Ramchandra Singh Baghela was the ruler. In his court, Tansen was a member. Maharaja Vikramaditya Singh moved his capital to Rewa.
▸ Martand Singh was the last ruler of Rewa.
▸ Rewa was famous for many well-known personalities. Tansen and Birbal were sent from Rewa by Maharaja Ramchandra Singh to the court of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
▸ Rewa came under British Paramountcy in 1812. It remained a Princely State within the British Raj until India's independence.
▸ Rewa became the part of Vindhya Pradesh and served as the capital of the new state.
▸ In 1956, Vindhya Pradesh merged into Madhya Pradesh. The palace of Maharaja of Rewa was converted into a museum.